Fence post



June 11,1935. w. J. KlBLER FENCE POST Filed Jan. 2, 1932 Patented June 11, 1935 FENcE Pos'r William J. Kibler, Tonawanda, Y., assignor to Buffalo SteelCompany, Tonawanda, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 2x, 1932, Serial No. 584,425 8 Clams. i (Cl. 256-57) This invention relates to a fence post of the type which is adapted to be driven into the ground and employed to support the horizontal strands of a Wire fence.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a strong, durable fence post, the main bar of which may be inexpensively manufactured by the hot rolled process and to which may be conveniently attached, at any desired height, the horizontal strands of a Wire fence, the latter being readily detachable at any subsequent time Without injury or alteration to the main bar of the fence post.

Numerous other objects of the invention and practical solutions thereof are disclosed in detail in the herein patent specification Wherein:

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a diminutive, fragmentary side elevation of the fence post With a portion of a Wire fence secured thereto.`

` AFigure 2 is a horizontal, transverse section thereof taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1. Figure 3 is a top plan of 'one of the Wire clips in its original form, that isprior to being applied to the fence post proper. i

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of a modified method of securing the'wire fence to the fence post.

In the following description, similar characters of reference indicate like parts of the several figures of the drawing.

My invention may be embodied in various forms and in fence posts of ldifferent constructions, and the present application is therefore to be regarded merely as one organization which satisfactorily carries out the invention in practice. As here shown, the same is constructed asfollows:

The main body of the fence post consists of a hot rolled T. bar ID comprising chiefiy the front longitudinal face plate which is integrally connected at its central portion With `a rearwardly and longitudinally extending Web or fiange |2 formed perpendicularly of said face plate At the junction of said face plate. and flange |2 is provided an integral, square-shouldered fillet |3 Whose fiat face is disposed perpendicularly of said face plate. 'I'he'reasons for this arrangement of fillet Will be hereinafter stated. The lower end of the face plate is symmetrically bevelled on opposite sides at |4 so as, in eflect, to provide a point at the lower end of the fence post, thereby enabling the same to be driven into the ground |5 without requiring excessively heavy blows for the 'driving operation.

In the fabrication 'of the hot rolled T bar IO,

which constitutes the chief element of Vthe fence post, the outer and opposite longitudinal edges of its facel plate I I aretransversely bent (or rolled directly) so as to project outwardlytand rear- Wardly to form the curvilinear edge portions 20 and 28a. The extreme parts of said edge portions are serrated, i. e., provided With rows of uniformly spaced lugs 2| and 2m respectively, the one row of lugs 2| being staggered relatively to the row of lugs 2 Iw, Each individual lug in each row'of lugs is preferably (though not necessarily) of symmetrical Shape and has its upper and lower ends beveled at 22 and 22| respectively. f

This improved fencev post is ``adapted to support either a barbed Wire or a Woven Wire or any other kind of a Wire fence. Fig. 1 illustrates a pair of horizontal strands v23, 23a of a Wire fence in which each strand is independent of the'others varranged in the manner in which ordinarybarbed or securing portion 25, the curledlretaining finger 26 and the securing arm 21.

In applying this Wire, clip to the fence post, the particular strand 23 or'23a. (Whichsaid clip islto support) is moved up or down' to its proper Vertical position, and theneither the retaining finger 26 or the securing arm 21 of a clip 24 passed i around the curvilinear edge portion20 -or 20a of the T bar IO at a point Where thebevel 22 of one of the lugs 2| or 2 la. is positionedujust'above said Wire. For instance, the upper Wirefence Vstrand 23a; is illustrated as just' below the bevel 22 of I one of the lugs 2m located'on' the "right side of the fence post, in Which case said strand 23a is supported' by a Wire clip engaging With the curvilinear edge portion 2Ua just' above the bevel 22 of the particular lug 2la which is. immediately` adjacent. The conditions in regard to` theother 'Wire fence strand 23' are different. In this case said strand 23 isv located just below the. beveli22 of one of the lugs 2| located on the '*left side of the fence post, and,tconsequently, either the retaining finger 26 or the securing arm 21jof this clip is passed' around the curvilinearledge portion 20 just above the bevel 22 ofthe particular lug 2| which is immediately adjacent. Whether j the finger 26 or the arm 21 of any particular clip around the one side of the fence post, after which s the securing arm 21 of said clip is swung around into the position illustrated in Figs. l and 2. After said securing arm has been swung into poition',`

its outer end is hammeredover or otherwisebent to form the looking finger'3ll (see-Fig`2)` which is curled around the' rear edge of the fiange i2 and thereby locks both its companionstrand 23for'23a,

and its clip 24 to the fence post. M

It is desirable that none of the strands (23 or 23a) ofthe .Wire fence be subjected to forces which would cause any of them to be sharply bent, inasmuch yas such `va condition would cause .exceslsive local stressesand hence Would weaken the strand asa whole. It is-obvious that the strandcannot be kinked while being vfastened to the fence post, because the pressure exerted by saidclip against -its cornpanion strand is backed up bythe broad flatout'er surface of the face plate Furthermoralne kink in the strand, can be caused, after thefencehas beenset up, by ahorizontal rearward strain against said strand by reason of cattle brushing heavily against it or for any. other similar reason. Thisisbecauseof the fact that the vlongitudinal edges of 'the face plate I Iu do not end"abri1pt1y, butsmerge, tangentially, into the curvilinear'edgeportions 2,0 and 20a. In addition tothis theseflcurvilinear edge portions, extending .somewhat rearwardly as they do, enable the lugs 2|, .2|fa`vat their outer rear extremities, 'to

' support'the Wire clips vZ'YLSufiiciently` close to the eenter'of gravity. off said clips as to prevent any unduedropping of therean end of the securing arm 21 which otherwisefwould occur and would 'tend 'to .loos'en the clip and Lcause undue strains theijeonwhen,its` companion .strand was sub- 'jeeted -to asuc'c'ession of -horizontaL forwardly dircted'fce; I 4 Itlis'obvius'that greater strength is obtained by'the use of a'fillet between `the face plate Il and the .fiange |2, Ho'wever, if an ordinary, quarter-'circle fillet .were used, the lateral guiding of the T .banl through the rotating rolls during thehot 'ro'lling process, would be dependent upon thee'fiange |2V at some distance from the vface .plate.`. Sucha procedure would be apt -to result in 'wavy T bars, land it is for this reason that the 'squareshouldered .fillet l`3 isI employed, its flat face b'eingfl'oingitudinal' and perpendicular to the 'face plate and thus capable of firmly guiding' .the

T barf throughthe rolls during the hot rolling process. s. s ,I

` When it is inconvenient to subject .the strands 23,230. to a longitudinal or ustretching pressure prior to their being clipped to the fence-post, the clips themselves may be used .to tighten up the individual strands, as shown i`n Fige. 4.` In this case the clip 24 is pressed firmly rearwardly lwhile the locki'ng finger .30 .of the securing arm 21 is being 'hammered over.V Both lthis pressure and also the-rearwardpressure caused-by this bending of said looking finger 30, aroundthe rear edge-of the flan'ge |2 'causes a slightS shaped twist 3| -in ,thecompanion stand 23hA ;of the wirefence, thus .contracting .thesame longitudinally and, tosome extent at least, taking up any sag that may have been existing at the time. This action results because the securing portion 25 of the vWire clip 24 is disposed curvilinearly relatively to the strand 23h.

It will be seen on the whole that the herein improved fence post is inexpensive to manufacture inasmuch as all of its constituent parts are made ofrolled, drawn or'swage'd 'metal and that, despite vits low cost, it is capable 'of easily having applied thereto the ho-rizontal strands of a wire `-fence in such manner that the exact, desired, vertical spacing of said strands may be obtained.

If it'later becomes, necessary to dismantle the ,fence -itis 'only necessary toV knock .off the clips 24zandpull 'the fence post proper out of the ground without having in any way altered or ,injured the latter, as would be the case if, for

instance, thel clips 24 were made, in effect, in-

; tegral with said post or bar IVO. It is obvious that said'post or bar [O is of'rugged'anddurable deign andthat the whole constructionis such as to avoid any, sharp bending of the wire strands-23, 23a, either while being installed Vor in use thereafter. In addition to thisthe arrangement of: the curvilinear edge portions 20 prevents undue sagging of the real); part of` the clips 2,4 with its consequent imposing of heavy "toggle-action,distortionstrains. I 1 ,v i

Iclaim:`

1. A fence post ycompriing a face vplate provided on its ,edge with supportinglugs having bevelled edges; and a` clip adapted toA engage with one of said lugs and adapted to secureone of jthesstrandsrof awire fence to said faceiplate.

2. Afence post comprising a face plate having a curvilinear, projecting edge adapted to make substantially tangrentialcontactjwith a strand of Wire fence; lugs arranged on the edgeof said face plate; and a clip adapted to engage'with one'of said lugs and adaptedzto secure said strand tosaidfaceplate. v i

3. A fence post comprising a rolled face plate having itsgopposite longitudinal edges ,projecting curvilinearly rearwardly and adapted to make substantially -tangentialcontact with-v a strand of Wire fence; lugs arranged onthe edge of said face plate; and a clip adapted to engage with one of said lugs, and to secure said strandto said faceplate. i

4. A fence post comprising'a rolled face Vplate having its opposite longitudinal edges projecting curvilinearly rearwardly andl provided with supportinglugs having bevelled ends; and aclip adapted to, .engage withone of said lugs' and adapted tosecure one of. the strands'of 'a Wire fence to saidface plate.

'5. Aifence post comprising a face plate having its opposite 'longitudinal edges extending v.curvilinearly backward and provided with outwardly projecting lugs which arestaggered relatively to each'cther; and a clip adaptedto lengage with any-fdesired'one of said 'lugs and to 'secure one such manner that the top of any one lug on one square shouldered fillet whose flat face is disside of said face is opposite the bottom of a lug posed perpendcularly of said face plate; and a on the other side of said face plate. clip adapted to engage with one of said lugs and 8. A fence post comprising a rolled face plate to secure one of the strands of a wine fence to 5 provided on its edge with 'a row of lugs; a rolled said face plate. p o 5 fiange extending rearwardly and integrally from p WILLIAM J. KIBLER. the rear face of said face plate and having a 

